Many construction disputes involving responsibility among subcontractors and the general contractor;

Various environmental disputes.

Q: What litigation and trial experience has Mr. Smith had?
A: Mr. Smith had more than 20 years of trial and litigation experience — including at Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe, the Bank of America (where he managed international litigation worldwide), and his own commercial litigation firm. He served as an Assistant US Attorney in San Francisco. He was a member of the United States delegation to the World Court in US. v. Iran. He was also an adjunct law professor teaching the mediation of intellectual property and international disputes.

Q: How long has Mr. Smith been mediating?
A: For 20 years.

Q: Is Mr. Smith’s practice plaintiff-oriented or defense-oriented?
A: Neither. Mr. Smith no longer litigates. He has for a long time been a full-time neutral.

Q: What style of mediation does Mr. Smith employ–facilitative, evaluative, directive or transformative?
A: It depends on the wishes of the parties and his own judgment tutored by experience and intuition.

Q: Does Mr. Smith have a bias as a mediator?
A: Yes, he has a bias in favor of resolving the dispute.

Q: Has Mr. Smith mediated in other languages?
A: Yes, in French , German, and Spanish. Mr. Smith’s French is fluent, his German acceptable, his Spanish is more limited. He studied Russian at university.